A large variety of industrial waste generated in SOCAR’s production sites are managed based on the Waste Management Plan (WMP), which has set forth a number of requirements for waste reduction, recycling, disposal, and elimination, including continuous monitoring of the process. A monthly report on waste generated in enterprises is prepared and registered through the Waste Management Module in the SAP EHS system. The appointment of a responsible person where waste is generated, as well as the separation, transportation and delivery of waste to a qualified company are carried out based on the WMP.
SOCAR implemented and successfully completed the Waste Management Centre (WMC) project in 2016. The Centre has the necessary equipment for the management of drilling waste, oil sludge, water treatment, etc. The annual production capacity of the WMC is 150,000 tonnes. The Centre provides the following services:
- disposal of the drilling waste generated during the drilling of oil and gas wells;
- disposal of the oil-contaminated sand and oil sludge;
- treatment of the groundwater and industrial wastewater;
- purification of household sewage;
- separation of 60 types of waste streams, including environmental isolation and reception;
- identification of the ways for the recycling of each waste stream;
- cooperation with third parties on waste management.
SOCAR cooperates with Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources’ (MENR) Hazardous Waste LLC for the management of hazardous waste, including odorant and PCBs waste.
The Company develops the waste recycling skills, and as part of the organisation of the circular economy, carries out the recycling of paper waste, used batteries, battery waste, cleaning and recycling of polluted water, recovery and reuse of valuable reagents from drilling waste, etc. Research and development projects are on-going for the recycling of plastic waste, Company-owned equipment, used oils, etc.
Other production waste generated by the company and delivered to WMC is stored in accordance with the regulations, while research is continued in the reprocessing methods.
Waste management at SOCAR is carried out under the environmental legislation of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and the requirements of international conventions the company has joined, including the SOCAR Waste Management Plan, as well as the policy of ZERO WASTE.